Reclamation
by The Full Neko Alchemist
Summary: [Kurocentric fic] All Kuro wanted was tranquility of the soul. Stripped of it by Luffy, he will do anything to get it back.
1. After The Battle

**Disclaimer**: One Piece and all it's characters belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

-o-

**Chapter 01**: After The Battle

-o-

Captain Kuro, the notorious cold and calculating pirate who had terrorised East Blue and caused the Marines no end of problems, was a man no one would have expected to lose to a seventeen-year-old boy. Never before had one of his plans gone awry, but now, thanks to that whelp with the straw-hat, they had: badly.

The boy who had gone down in history for trashing his opponent had held a dream of which Kuro had scoffed. His desire was to be the Pirate King. Not only was it a fool's dream and unplanned, unplanned an unpredictable and dangerous word Kuro hated, it was doomed to end in failure. Or so Kuro thought. Not only that, but Luffy was a child who had an annoying habit of giving lectures to those with no interest in hearing them.

The Black Cat pirate crew, several of whom had expressed distaste, had reluctantly dragged their ex-captain aboard his old vessel. There was no escape if their old captain _did_ intend on finishing those he'd failed to kill; the ocean surrounded them on all sides.

However, although the thought of Kuro filled them with dread, the crew were not on the same level as their captain. Some would even say there was something there, an unmentionable feeling they'd rather not say. Therefore, by a majority of 15 to 7, they had decided to keep the unconscious man aboard until he was sufficiently well to be cast off the ship. More would have voted, but the captain had effectively nuked the vote by killing the rest of them back on that island.

As far as the crew of the Black Cat could tell, Jango had been left behind on that island; a result of him chasing that girl Captain Kuro had been after. They had been left behind without anything that could protect them from a psychopathic murderer intent on shedding their blood.

Maybe it was their lucky day.

o-

When he woke up, the first thing Kuro noticed were the dim rays streaming from the porthole to the right. He lay back and saw a familiar wooden ceiling. It was pockmarked with recognizable knots in the grain. Not only that, the room was one he remembered.

Raising his right hand, a force of habit, Kuro felt his glasses missing, but then spotted them on a table to the left. Inch by inch, he levered his left leg then right, intending to get off the bed. But no sooner as his back had started to rise off the mattress then something happened. There was a crack somewhere (for he wasn't a physician) and a crippling flash of pain ran down his spine and legs, following the bone. He bore the pain as best as he could.

_Please tell me those fools haven't taken me off that island_, Kuro thought, raising a hand to his forehead. _Goddamn it, this bloody hurts!_

Kuro plummeted back to the bed and his mind began operating like clockwork. His plan, the one intended to free him of this life, had failed. It had done so because of a stupid boy with an equally foolish hat. Luffy had defeated him, Captain Kuro; a feared man who had not tasted the defeat once before in his life. And he hated it. He, the dreaded Captain Kuro of the Thousand Plans, had lost.

_Useless fools. If they had an ounce of strength I would not be in this mess_, thought Kuro, and his eyes closed.

As much as he desired to dispose of those who had, in the end, proved to be unreliable, Kuro knew he was in no condition to do so at this moment.

Besides, if they wanted him they would have done the deed and tossed him overboard. However, he had a plan. Although he appeared right now to be weak and defenceless, there was one thing his men had to remember; he always landed right side up. His men would serve his purpose, aiding him in recovering from his injuries and getting things on track, and as soon as he was well they would pay for what they had done.

_It's not like it's personal. I just can't afford witnesses._

Finally exhausted, Kuro caught some uneasy rest, sleeping with an open ear just in case his pawns were thinking of doing something they ought not to.

o-

Several days later, the Black Cat had sighted land. In the distance lay a small island, upon which were two towns on either side. Both were ports, each serving a different side of the island. A blanket of lights gleamed in the darkness, specks of light inside rows of houses. Through the telescope, the senior member of the ship had decided that this would be where they dumped their passenger.

This man was not a captain but a gunner. The answer was quite simple – Captain Kuro had killed most of their force, one after the other, with that terrifying skill of his.

And now he had found himself in charge of those who had survived; he had responsibilities. One of them was to make sure they all survived Kuro's departure in one piece.

"Right then, you lot; listen up!" the pirate called loudly.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Heads turned in the direction the voice had come from.

"I'll need you and you to lower a boat," the appointed leader ordered, before turning to another group stood nearby. "And you three, go and get you-know-who. But don't wake him up! He's still in pretty bad shape, so it shouldn't be difficult. Then we can dump him in that town and put as much distance between him and us as possible."

The three men picked themselves up from where they had been perched and left.

Meanwhile, the momentary leader breathed a huge sigh of relief. Finally, he was free! The general consensus was that as soon as the captain was taken care of they would disband the crew and return home. Anything to get away from this cursed ship.

There was an ear-piercing scream.

Everyone jumped on the spot, chattering, looking, wondering what had happened. The moon shone overhead. Soon, all eyes fell upon the door that led to the cabin where Kuro had been resting. The door was banging on its hinges and the first thing to be noticed was the silence.

A clink of metal: the pirate leader's eyes widened in alarm as the sound grew closer. His heart jumped out his chest when the door was opened, and Kuro, somewhat healthy enough to walk, emerged from the darkness. Blood glistened on the clawed gloves he wore. Several pulled back in fear and others gritted their teeth as Kuro raised his claw and pushed up his glasses.

"Was there something you wanted with me?" he asked simply, lowering his glove. "Or are you just surprised I'm not as ill as you hoped I was?"

The black-haired man stepped closer to his former pirates, who were rooted to the spot. For one, his legs had suddenly become as heavy as lead, unmovable. For another, his heart had frozen as the hairs on the back of his neck rose in fear.

Kuro found this amusing. He stopped and pushed up his glasses again, leaning back to watch those terrified of a 'dead' man. He gazed at them. There were a few new faces, men Jango had bought aboard after he'd left.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter," Kuro said. "You failed my plan. You should already know the consequences of failure."

Kuro suddenly disappeared, and all his men could see were the glint of the silver claws as they tore through their bodies, which collapsed to the deck, lying in blood that pooled, mingled and ran between the cracks.

o-

Cleaning his glove with a dirty rag, Kuro readjusted himself on the ringed barrel he'd sat on. They hadn't required too much effort, though he found he'd exerted too much too soon.

And the burning reared its head, causing him to wince.

It passed.

Kuro sighed; raising his glove to check it had been cleaned properly. He nodded and lowered it to look at the bodies littering his ship. They were sprawled across the floor, some caught in the rigging, some over the side. Claw marks were apparent everywhere; on the floor, a few on the walls, even some where the rigging was torn. And, of course, the bodies themselves.

_Now what should I do?_

There was no way he'd return to the life of a pirate and be chased down by the Marines. One thing of which Kuro was sure was that Siam and Buchi had not been among the dead. They must have been left on that island after they'd sailed away. The two brothers were beyond his reach.

The lights in the distance caught his attention. He rose and turned to face the town in the distance. He knew the island to be small, with a crescent shape and a range of mountains down the middle, splitting it into two. It was relatively secluded; the town he could see was of a modest size. It would be perfect.

Kuro smiled at the thought of his plan; the thought of proving Luffy wrong made him excited. No, he would not wait to get the money and quietude he desired. Three years was long enough to wait.


	2. The Ghost Ship

**Disclaimer**: One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda.

-o-

**Chapter 02**: The Ghost Ship

-o-

"So what made you come all the way out here to seek work?" a man asked, his question directed at the waiter nearby.

As the new employee was setting one of the dining room tables, the bartender sat himself down in the chair behind the drinks counter and lit himself a cigarette, blowing out a plume of smoke as he gazed over.

"Nothing much," Kuro said, cleaning the inside of a glass. "I just fancied a change. The town I came from was too noisy. Life here is far more laid back."

The bartender smiled, reaching for his glass of water. He then grumbled. On getting this job, he had thought that being the bartender would mean he would get free perks but _no_.

_Damn, this stuff is poor. I wish I could have something stronger._

"Laid back? I suppose you're right. But you know, they call this the good half, though there's two towns on this island. But I suppose a weedy-looking thing like you'd not want to go there."

Kuro chuckled. Those second rate pirates? They were no competition. It would be a waste of his time. He knew who they were, and what all he found interesting of their uneducated selves was their modest fortune. It was too small, and they were weak. Like so many others.

"I suppose not." Kuro cleaned around the rim. "What kinds live there, anyway?"

"Ones that mean you should stay well clear. Any pirate is bad news so don't tempt fate," he was answered.

He continued to clean, tolerating what he considered to be menial work. Soon, he would be away from this place and into greater things to accomplish his plan. That barkeep was an idiot; if only he knew just who it was he was working with. He would not dare to call him such if he had the cat's claw held up against his throat. He put down the glass; there was no need to be so furious. But if ever the time came for this man had to be disposed, he knew he would take pleasure from revealing the truth behind the irony.

-o-

Opening the door to his room, Kuro sighed and dumped the bag he was carrying on the table. The day had been long and tiring. His employers were a couple in their later years, much like Miss Kaya's family.

Kuro pushed those thoughts out his mind. It would do him no good thinking about them or their demise. Kaya had been orphaned and it had not been his fault; it had not been part of his plan. This job he held was just to tide him over till he got on his feet.

Walking up to the stairs, he doubled back across the landing and headed to his bedroom. He'd have a bath, and then finally some rest.

-o-

"What do you mean 'it just appeared'? Something like that doesn't sail right into the wharf without being seen!"

"I don't know; it just appeared," a woman answered.

"I've heard it's haunted," a third, another man's, added.

"Pft! There's no such thing as a haunted ship! It's just an old wives tale!" the first said.

Kuro's eyes screwed up and he frowned as he lay on his bed and listened to the spectrum of voices that were gathering outside. He never had been one for heated nights. They made him uncomfortable. His heart beat uneasily, and he credited himself with enough intelligence to know that something was amiss in what was supposed to be a quiet town.

Begrudgingly, he pulled back the covers and got out of bed. His feet twitched as they touched the cold wooden planks. He then walked to the desk opposite the snatched up the white nightshirt that hung over the top. He pulled it over his head and into place, after which he took his glasses from a bedside table and pushed them up his nose. Finally, he made his way to the window, unhooked it, and flung open the shutters.

Leaning further out, he saw that another crowd had congregated further down the narrowly-arched street, torches gleaming in their hands.

"What going on?" he asked.

"A ship just washed up in the harbour," a blond replied, looking up. "No one saw it enter and some are saying that it bears the flag of The Black Cat."

_I see; The Black Cat_, Kuro thought. He pushed up his glasses in the usual manner. _I thought I had sunk it._

"What, you mean Captain Kuro's ship?" he asked of the man, finding the whole thing amusing. "He was executed three years ago by the Marines. Good riddance, if you ask me."

Kuro pushed his glasses back up his nose; they had slipped when he'd leant to see out the window.

"In any case, what're you all doing out here?"

"We're going to search it; find out what all the commotion's about. The marines aren't here yet so some men volunteered. Fancy coming?"

_Marines._ He began thinking ahead.

"All right, I'll be down shortly," he said. He could not let them go by themselves.

_Who knows what they might think, or what they might find._

Pulling back, he closed the shutter and bolted the window, after which he walked to the wardrobe propped against the wall. He had not expected his old ship to show up at all. The Black Cat had been scuttled and he had thought the waters surrounding the port were deep, but it seemed as if that had not been the case. It was a mistake, yes, but it was not one he was without means to correct.

-o-

Kuro's eyes flickered around the deck of The Black Cat, the burning torchlight that surrounded him revealing the full horror of what lay upon the ship for all those who had visited her. Before his eyes were a litter of butchered bodies. Some were hung unceremoniously over the ship's side whilst others lay festering on the deck itself. The claw marks and the blood were familiar sights for Kuro, the only one who had known what to expect.

There passed by an unnoticed look of boredom on Kuro's face as people gasped, retched and fainted in horror: it was expected.

His eyes narrowed at the flapping sails and flag.

_Well, they'll certainly be talking about me now,_ he thought.

"Hey, you're not scared, are you?" the man from earlier asked, turning around. "Relax. They're dead. They're not gonna come alive and _eat_ us!"

"It's not them I'm frightened of," Kuro said.

Suddenly, a loud cry drew attention; a man rushed out the captain's cabin, splitting the crowd.

"This ship is cursed! It's the ghost of Captain Kuro!" he yelled. "He killed them all for defiling his ship! We're all going to die!"

Kuro watched as others stopped the man, suppressing his annoyance.

"He's right! Look at the claw marks!" another man stated. Everyone could see the grooves that had been carved into the mast, deck and rigging, even defecating some of the bodies with razor-sharp cuts. "It's like a wild animal's done this, and we all know who had that standing, don't we?"

"Captain Kuro," a third muttered. "I don't like this."

Kuro walked to the body that lay to his right, and then turned it with his foot. It was another one he did not know, so he was one of Jango's. In any case, they had served their purpose. It had been necessary for them to die. Still, if this situation got out of hand that he could very well soon find himself having to deal with some unwanted visitors. And once they came, so would attention, and that he did not want.

"I would not believe in old wives tales if I were you," he warned. "Remember that Captain Kuro was executed. Ghosts are just fabricated superstition, not worth the time of day."

He then paused as someone approached to him. The man's arm was pointing here and there at the marks gorged all over the ship

"How do you explain those?"

Pushing up his glasses, Kuro forced down the increasing rage he was feeling that _his_ ship had not done what _he_ had wanted it to and just sink.

"I'd say it was attacked by pirates and the crew was defeated; everyone's heard of Captain Kuro so doubtlessly it would be easy to imitate him. With a sword, maybe?" the real Kuro replied. He walked over to a dead body, picked up the sword and held it before him with an inspective gaze. "Someone's trying to play upon our fears and is using a dead man for that purpose: despicable. If you go off claiming it's the ghost of that pirate then you're giving whoever it is what he wants."

He turned, then tossed the sword aside.

"I'm going home. Ghosts are no concern of mine."

He walked across the ship and climbed the rope ladder down into a small boat.

_Word of this will get out soon_, Kuro thought, waiting and looking over his shoulder at his wrecked ship. _But it's all right._

-o-

"You're slow, waiter!" a man bellowed, a few days later.

The woman sitting beside her companion at the table rolled her eyes and chuckled as he slammed the tankard on the table, spilling some beer. She then checked her fingernails. They were as pristine as ever. Finally, she looked up and smiled at the waiter.

"He's slow, Buggy, but you've got to admit; he _is_ somewhat cute," the purple-haired lady spoke, leaning on her hand.

"I don't know, Alvida. He's stringy. There's no meat on him," Buggy replied. "I thought you liked _real_ men?"

Alvida chuckled and continued to watch Kuro, who had remained silent throughout everything.

"Let's see, shall we? Hey, you there! Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Kuro pulled on his tie, loosening it. He knew who the woman and her partner were. Who couldn't? But still, the reason for them being here got him thinking. Hopefully they were just passing through.

Smiling, Kuro straightened his tie then removed the tray from the table.

"Yes you are," he said.

He then bowed.

"Now if you would excuse me, I must leave," he said. "I have to get back to the kitchen."

Kuro pushed up his glasses with his left hand, and then turned around. He was curious why two pirates, one of whom had a high bounty, had arrived on this island. Maybe news of the wrecked ship had got out, or maybe they were here on other matters. He hoped not.


End file.
